The invention relates to dental instruments and systems and in particular to endodontic instruments and systems. Specifically, the invention relates to an ultrasonic system and an endodontic drill file for debriding root canals.
The invention provides a special flow-through means for directing a solution around and past the drill file and along the longitudinal axis of the instrument to irrigate the root canal which is being debrided by the endodontic drill file.
The endodontic flow-through ultrasonic instrument holder device of this invention may also be referred to as an endodontic endosonic drill-file holder.
In the prior art the endodontic drill files were primarily operated manually, simultaneously in a more or less vertical-like movement in the more or less longitudinal direction of the root canal and with a partial back and forth rotating motion. Mechanical methods were inadequate.
Original ultrasonic trials in the prior art were accomplished by rigid connection to the ultrasonic transducer mechanism and were not successful.
Subsequent to the original ultrasonic trials an improved ultrasonic attachment was developed, which is the subject of a copending United States Patent application in which the present inventor is a coinventor. The copending application is Ser. No. 108,969, filed Dec. 31, 1979, now U.S. Pat. No. 4,295,827, Oct. 20, 1981, for an Endodontic Flow-Through Ultransonic Instrument Holder Attachment.
The present invention is an improvement over the attachment in the copending application. The prior invention uses a rubber-like holding means within the attachment which requires some manual restraint at the upper end during use, because the holding means does not retain the drill file in a firm position. The attachment in the copending application is an improvement over the prior art, the present invention is an improvement over the invention of the copending application.
Also, in the prior art, irrigation of root canals during treatment was by a separate means which required the drilling action for debriding to cease while the irrigation was performed. Other irrigation means directed the solution from an external point. This caused considerable "splash-back" and was not satisfactory.
In the present invention the aforementioned problems of the prior art are overcome. The endodontic drill-file is mounted firmly at one end of the file by a point contact means, instead of a rigid connection at the central axis of the ultrasonic transducer, and in a manner that manual restraint on the upper end of the file is not required during ues.
The mode of mounting the drill file in the present invention permits the endodontic drill file to vibrate in a series of criss-crossing motions and at the same time the free end tends to vibrate in a movement that is circularlike and/or ellipsoidal or oval.
Coupled with the unique and novel means of mounting the endodontic drill file in the holder, is a hollow tubelike means that transports solution for irrigating the root canal and directing it along the longitudinal axis of the drill file and directly into the root canal. In the present invention the solution is directed around the end of the drill-file where it is secured in place and down the sides of the drill file in the slot-like configuration of the securing means.
The irrigation, which may be used to disinfect, cavitate, shear and acoustic streaming, and to flush out debris from the root canal debriding operations of the drill file, can be controlled and used at will without withdrawing the drill file from the root canal.
The endodontic flow-through ultrasonic instrument holder device may be made to project the instrument at 90.degree. from the energy supply line or at a plurality of projection positions therefrom, such as at 45.degree..
It is, therefore, an object of the invention to provide a holder device for endodontic instruments.
It is another object of the invention to provide a holder device specifically for endodontic drill files.
It is also an object of the invention to provide a holder device for endodontic instruments which is energized and operated by ultrasonic means.
It is still another object of the invention to provide a holder device for endodontic instruments that has flow-through means for directing a solution axially along the instrument.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a holder device for endodontic instruments that mounts the endodontic instruments by point contact to produce a novel vibrating pattern.
It is yet still another object of the invention to provide a holder device for endodontic instruments that holds the instruments firmly without the need for any manual restraint.
It is also still another object of the invention to provide a holder device for endodontic instruments with special means for directing a solution in the flow-through means around the drill file in the point contact position.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will become more apparent in the light of the following description of the preferred embodiments.